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August 7, 2011

G113: Red Sox 3, Yankees 2 (10)

Josh Reddick's line drive single down the left field line off Phil Hughes in the bottom of the tenth scored pinch-runner Darnell McDonald from second base with the winning run. Reddick knew the ball was fair as soon as he hit it. (Jere was there, and has some video of the celebration)

Mariano Rivera blew his fifth save of the year in the previous inning. Down by one run in the ninth, and having squandering scoring opportunities all night (leaving the bases loaded in the second and sixth innings), Marco Scutaro led off against Rivera by doubling off the left field wall. Jacoby Ellsbury bunted Scutaro to third and Dustin Pedroia brought him in with a sacrifice fly to left.

Scutaro was 4-for-4, the eighth four-hit game of his career, and his third with Boston (September 8, 2010 and June 11, 2011). It is only the third time he has had four hits in four plate appearances.

Rivera had thrown only nine pitches, but Joe Girardi went with Hughes in the tenth. Kevin Youkilis flied out to center, but David Ortiz ripped a ground rule double to right. McDonald went in to run, Carl Crawford -- who had already had three hits in the game and was 9-for-his-last-10 -- was walked intentionally. Reddick lined Hughes's first pitch - a curveball - to the opposite field, and McDonald scored easily. Left fielder Brett Gardner, whose home run had given the Yankees a 2-1 lead in the seventh, did not even bother to throw the ball in.

Terry Francona made a few mystifying decisions. In the seventh, Matt Albers allowed a two-out home run to Gardner and then hit Derek Jeter. Desperate to not allow the Yankees to add to their 2-1 lead, Tito went with Franklin Morales against LHB Curtis Granderson. I was hoping for Daniel Bard in that situation. Morales has no real split this year, but has held lefty batters to a .193 average over his career, while Bard has been much stronger against righties this season. Morales got a strike on Granderson, then threw four balls. Then he walked Mark Teixeira on four pitches well out of the zone. And then threw ball one to Robinson Cano. ... But then Cano took a strike and grounded out to second. Inning over.

Francona then went with Dan Wheeler in the eighth, another curious decision. I figured something had to be wrong -- "intestinal distress", perhaps? -- with Bard. Wheeler ended up striking out the side. (After Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth, Bard came out for the tenth. And seemed fine, so who knows?)

The other annoying decision was not pinch-hitting for Jason Varitek in the sixth or eighth inning. Varitek batted in the sixth with runners at first and second and one out. He had popped up and walked earlier in the game. Facing Cory Wade, fresh out of the bullpen, Varitek took three balls - and then chased the 3-0 pitch. The ball was up and away and he popped it up into foul territory where catcher Russell Martin grabbed it. In the eighth, Crawford had singled and gone to second on a wild pitch by David Robertson. With two outs, Varitek batted once again. Another wild pitch put Crawford on third, but Tek again fouled out, this time to third baseman Eduardo Nunez.

As frustrating as the Sox were in the clutch, the Yankees were worse. They were 0-for-10 with runners at second and/or third.

On Thursday, someone asked a question at Baseball Primer (while discussing the hitting of the 2004, 2007, and 2011 teams):

Pop quiz - can anyone tell me what the following represents?.342/.400/.553.339/.434/.526.383/.446/.608.299/.416/.539.313/.405/.574

***

It is the AVG/OBP/SLG of the Top 5 hitters in the order -- Ellsbury, Pedroia, Gonzalez, Youkilis, Ortiz -- with their 2011 #s translated to the higher offensive environment of 2004. ... Those numbers are filthy!

My 16-18 yr olds squandered several times today and it cost us. Lost 6-5 to a team that is unbeaten for the season. This is the first time that anyone has gotten within 5 runs actually. Started the last inning down that 1 with the top of my order up and them down to dregs for pitching. Leadoff rips a single, then takes off with a great jump and would have had 2nd stolen standing up. But my #2 guy swung, and lined into a double play. Yeesh!

I desperately need to take a shower. Was out at the field from 10 this morning till about 815. And it's about 198 degrees here. But damn, it's the Sox - Yanks. And I missed yesterday's game bexcause of being there all day then. Curses.

My reference: while Bobby V was talking about the pitchout, he was declaring his distaste for the maneuver. He said he only did it to 1) make sure the opposition knew it was in his arsenal, and 2) when he "got a good look at the runner" or "saw a sign". He quickly amended this last to when he really knew a runner was going.

My birthday is not until December. But I'm going during the vacation between summer and fall terms just because it's the year I (and various friends from high school) will turn 40. It's for my/our birthday(s), but not on our birthdays. That said, it's just a hang, no real special events.

umps are clearly not enforcing the 12-second rule. if they called a ball each time beckett went over the time limit, he'd have walked in about 12 runs so far. maybe he'll just get fined $75,000 ot something.

8.04When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call Ball. The 12-second timing starts when the pitcher is in possession of the ball and the batter is in the box, alert to the pitcher. The timing stops when the pitcher releases the ball.The intent of this rule is to avoid unnecessary delays. The umpire shall insist that the catcher return the ball promptly to the pitcher, and that the pitcher take his position on the rubber promptly. Obvious delay by the pitcher should instantly be penalized by the umpire.